Feeding Behavior of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) on Man, Raccoons, and White-Footed Mice

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Abstract
The biting habits of 1464 female mosquitoes of 9 common species were observed to determine prevalence of intermittent probing and the time required for blood engorgement on man, anesthetized raccoons, and white-footed mice in southern Connecticut. Aedes canadensis (Theobald) Aedes triseriatus (Say), and Aedes stimulans (Walker) females exhibited more probing when attempting to feed on man than Psorophora ferox (Humboldt) and Aedes vexans (Meigen). Females of the former 3 species penetrated host skin with their fascicles, exhibited extensive probing beneath the epidermal layers, and sometimes completely withdrew their mouthparts during the initial stages of contact without ingesting visible amounts of blood. On other occasions, A. canadensis and A, triseriatus females obtained partial blood meals, withdrew their mouthparts, and re-penetrated their fascicles in the same host. Frequency of intermittent probings on man ranged from 13.4% in A. canadensis to 2.9% in P. ferox. All species except A. vexans probed discontinuously in their attempts to feed on man and raccoons, but only A, canadensis and A. triseriatus probed intermittently on mice. Results suggest that there is variation in blood-feeding efficiency both within and among mosquito species.

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